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Are there jobs that disappeared from your radar and came back?
This is a smart time to plan for transmitter site innovations for spring. Priorities will come to mind seamlessly; But think more broadly and possibly realize you have other desires as well, adding projects that “fell off the radar” during the pandemic years and never returned to the screen.
Here are some examples from my experience.
Installing a fluid-cooled transmitter is more complex than putting in an air-cooled one. There are clear advantages once the job is done, but it is not really finished until the cooling radiators outside the building are protected.
The first photo shows an example of basic coverage at a remote mountainous site. You can see the fence we made with bird rope and an ice bridge on top that helps keep ice and roof debris away from the area. We also took a DeWalt battery-powered washer and five gallons of water in a bucket, and gently washed the radiator fins.
The photographic moment of the coaxial lifts that were placed just before the pandemic.
Some of the coax for the antennas was replaced with new line and installed in the risers as shown. But before coax for the rest of the stations could be installed, this project — like many in the 2020–2022 timeframe — ground to a halt.
The installer then continued with the project, in coordination with the stations involved. Within two days, the coaxial cable and bells were installed.
Paints are not essential to the operation of the site, but they are an investment in preventative maintenance and can pay dividends in the long run. These expenses rarely require justification. They shouldn’t. This is similar to converting a car’s oil or getting a medical checkup with your doctor once a year.
Site engineers and their supervisors deserve to take a critical look at their facilities and review some of this overarching thinking.
[Read more Radio Mundo technicians]
Michel Baldauf
Michael Baldauf is a semi-retired engineer from southern Colorado. He has held positions as lead engineer and assignment manager since the 1980s. He enjoys supporting the operations of small radio stations.
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